IronMike

Great Time as always! Thanks Dave and all who made it! Great ride, food and friendship! I Ended up going home via 555 end to end with the Trailer and then shot over to my 2nd Fav Ohio road and did SR 9 End to End!! So I had a nice ending to the end. I hit the curves almost like I had no trailer at all. Handled great! No Traffic, saw one Rider got Bit by Ohios Tail, They were nursing his bike back to roadworthiness when I went by, he had gear and was ok.

Everytime we camp here the man upstairs doesn't want you on a motorcycle, last time it was the well. Dave is saving the ride you like for until you get here.

OK I have been LOCKED out of this thread! I JUST found out I can go! I left Brooklyn at 2 AM and I Just got back from Aron, packing and leaving, Be there by 8 Need anything three thee Oh 2 one 9 eighty7 26.

If I have off!

I agree with your wife's friends. LOL I was laid off for two years, So what a nice time to ride and I did! Like 20K a year. One trip was starting at The GREAT! !!! SKYLINE DRIVE, (I love that part of the road!!!) and that basically dumps you onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and that we Traveled All the way to the Tail Of The Dragon where we could not possibly STAND it anymore! We must have had good weather, Yes we hit some rain or it hit us but I don't remember pounding wind. Maybe up at the highest part where we actually Rode up through the clouds in some driving rain and got to the higher area (Highest on the BRP) and then looked down on the storm from the top. (That was cool) We saw lots of wildlife and the Bike flooded out while we were within 20 yards of a Mother Bear and two cubs. She snorted and charged a few leaps and that scared the bike into a running state. (I tossed the seat covers as they were beyond repair or washing.) Skyline drive was the highlight, Had the BRP been that active it may have been worth it. But we did have time and was just waiting and waiting at 35MPH 12 hours a day to see what everyone was talking about. Nothing emerged! We did find it hard to find logging, food, gas. There are exits but you can't see whats off them, had a GPS good thing. When I finally got to the TOD for the first time, I sparked to life and swore I would never again Ride or drive or travel any extended length of the BRP. I will jump on for sections, especially around the TOD where they say that is the best section. but in no way would you catch me on that again by choice. Waaaaaayyyyyyy toooooo Booorrrrrriiiinnnnngggggg! Even now when I look at the hundreds of pictures we took, THEY ALL LOOK LIKE THE SAME SPOT! And I had a Go PRO and it was going and it looked like a Hollywood set where the same scenery is on like a 50 foot roll and it just keeps going around and a around. 7 Days of smokey Mountains YES Blue ridge Parkway? PUKE! And thats my opinion! I was laid off had plenty of time and I feel it's 4 days of my life Ill never get back!

Hey I answered a lot of this above. But I don't use Cruise, yet it is a bolt on available. The Backrest comes with the Corbin seat. The Trunk is a Givi 55 And last year I owned the Venture I only used the Senna 20's For intercom And music with ear buds. Sounds way better, no noise. Plus it hooks into GPS and Phone PLUS a bunch of other riders, you can even link in with strangers you pass on the fly with a few taps. It has Am Fm, and I have a small CB that hooks into it I use the extra Senna Mic. Im not going to miss the Venture at all. From the moment I start the FI engine.

TOTAL Add ons $7,510.00 (Explained Below) And from proven and known recipe devised from Concord Owners. Sorry it took so long to reply, That was a busy day off buying the bike. Ill try to Answer all questions. First off, it you watch shootouts from Motorcycle Magazines around the world the Connie seems to always hang in there or win, and it's compared to a much more expensive BMW 1600 and Usually the FJR 1300. On the FJR side, I have heard from several people who rode both and they prefer the Connie. Thats why I landed on it. Trust me when I say I could have gotten a great deal on a FJ. To be Frank, I bought a Tag Along and a Camper and I really was looking to get into ABS Linked Braking system. THIS has it PLUS traction control! SOLD! The Connie did gets it's makeover for 2015 And I waited for it, to either get a new revamped one or a GREAT deal on a 2010 to 2014. The latter happened. They did not change much. On Line experts were disappointed it STILL DOES NOT HAVE Cruise Control! Me, I can care less. I drive over 750 miles a day for the last 30 years and maybe 10 miles of that was on cruise control. I never used it on the Venture. I personally think it's dangerous to use. I feel out of control with it on. Last summer, I rode with the Concours Owners Group (COG) most of the summer. They were impressed with how I handled my Venture but I always noticed I was braking in the curves more than them just slowing down my heavy bike. And that's when I wanted a Connie. But A wing was more my seating position. I trashed the Wing idea when I googled Gold wing problems. Cracked Frames, Failing Radiators and ECM's are things I don't need on Vacation. Back to the Connie. The Concours CAN be made old man rideable. As with any new bike the list of MOds is long and expensive. About $4K more dollars and I will have it like most of them end up. Here is my Mod grovery list. Corbin or Sergent seat with Heat and Backrest. $1000 Corbin Smuggler Trunk with Backrest. $ 900 HeliBars Adj. Handlebars $ 700 F&R footpeg Lowering brackets $ 160 Canyon Cages Crash Bars Bag protectors $ 500 V Stream Windscreen $ 200 Hand Guards (Wind rain Protection) $ 80 Fuze Block (Check that on net its cool!) $ 80 Upgrade tail lamp $ 40\ HID light kit $ 165 Tank Protector $ 75 Gerbing Duel Heater control $120 Australian Hitch and Wire harness $700 (I kid you not Outdoor outfiters.) Upgrade Luggage rack $160 GiVi 55 Top Case (Trunk) $500 (with Pads and liner) Fender Extender and Radiator Guard $150 Bearing Shiftier upgrade $ 21 Dual Stebel Horns $ 70 Kickstand Shoe $ 40 Cover for bike $ 50 Saddle bag liners $100 Cruise control Murphy's kit NOT buying $400 (its a bolt on) Exhaust Power Commander and Header NOT BUYING $1500 So when I omit the Smuggler, the Exhaust Mod and the Cruise, I am looking at like $4500.00 in add on's for a ready to ride cross country bike. The Heli Bars, and the seat plus the lowered peggs ALL are about comfort. Can't do without especially after getting off that Venture seat! The ONLY seat on a bike I never needed to replace! Lots of other things go on not on the list but that I already have, USB ports, Ram Mounts for Go Pros and GPS's, Phone mounts, Cup holders, Lots of lighting, It may sound like a lot, But it still gets me into the BMW range performance wise with way less cost finished product and much less required Maint and lifetime expense. Besides, the BMW guys also have a list! LOL I am using the Senna 20 Communications system for earth shaking Music and communications, it ties in with my phone and my GPS PLUS I can talk bike to bike, even strangers I am passing who have the same thing, for $500 a Pair. Ive used them on the Venture while riding with the COG. They did not have Edsets or CB. BUT I got about 6K off the MSRP of this bike, it's new with 3 year warranty and they have VERY few problems. Like the venture crowd, it's a Cult like following! I won't have time for a Classified, but as a sneak peek of my for sale leftovers of the top of my head I have Everything Leftover from a Trike conversion 2008 style. Bags, Fender, Rear Diff, Lights, Axle and rear wheel with a good darkside tire on it. Whatever the best Edsets system they have, One is brand new in package! Carbon One, Jack Adapter with Legs, Lower Supports, Two Skid plates/ Factory tank Cover, I put on a Leather one and it went with the bike! The Red reflectors for the Bag guards. Lots of Misc stuff too small to list. And Freebird get the Sync tool back for the Maint day! I have FI!

Remember, I don't know how to upload them or mine are all too big. I'll sent ya one SMS.

In the form of a Spanking New Kawasaki Concours 14 Kind of reminds me of a first Gen Venture if it was built today. 152 HP, ABS, Traction Control, Adjustable Riding and brake modes, Gas saver Mode, Adjustable Shocks, Heated grips, On the fly adjustable Windscreen, gazillion other things And something I always wanted on the Venture, a Center stand. My Venture is gone. When I bought this puppy they gave me more on it than anyone could ever get a loan for on an 08, my dealer offered me $500 more in cash, So I guess my bike was all I said it was, it's just no one really can get their hands on money now a days. I paid cold Hard Cash for my Connie, same as I did for my Venture. This si my second New Bike, I hate buying new bikes, you now they whole process of Seat, Tires, Risers, Hitch, Trunk, USB outlets, Cup holder, Horn, and the endless list goes on! I will raid the shop when the weather gets warm enough and list a Junkload of Venture things for sale. I hope I can still drop in on the Maintenance day. Man that was a comfortable bike! And I hear they will be coming out with a revamp!

Well, I was about to pull the trigger on a GW for the ABS (As I tow a camper) I got on the forums and Since the GW moved production from Ohio its went down hill. In their opinion. After reading of Frame Cracks, Tranny failures, Exploding radiators/cooling systems, and lots of ECM failures. I was like ok, I'll hold! Now that the Concours 14 has ABS it's back on my mind, but, that would be 3 bikes in the shop when I can only ride one! It seems bikes are worthless used. You buy one for 10K put 5K into in in labor and accessories and put 5K miles on it and it's worth, maybe 5K! hahaha. but serious.

If I had YELLOW WOLF's Recipe for GW suspension I would just do that! LOL I am really tipping on the teeter from FJR to GW. = Pros and Cons. Maybe ride the Venture another year?

I go there like weekly in my driving job, Queens, Bronx, And a few Long Island destinations. As already has been said. Not me! If you do decide you simply cannot resist, go between like 1 AM and 4 AM in the FALL. lots of a less chance someone will hit you, and if they do you will have all winter to heal and get the bike back up and running. In all my bi weekly trips there the last 15 years I see very few Motorcyclists and the ones I do see are lighter bikes. Very few Dressers. But be advised timming is everything between 1AM and 4AM they like to work on the roads and the traffic could be bad.

Each post helps me think this out. Thanks a lot keep them coming if you have something to say. I wanted the BMW 1600 at one point but got on the BMW forums and a lot of pissed off people with that brand recently and I have even met a few. One guy had to buy a new bike to replace his new bike waiting for the recall to be done, the wait was 8 months to a year and it was not ride-able. If you Google their CS has a bad rap recently and leave the owners out of luck. Very slow and slow to admit problems. So I bailed on that brand, one I had admired for years. Even the Iron Butt people are pissed at them for bikes that broke on a Event run and they got passed by the Yamaha, and the Yamaha won it more than any other brand!

You've got me scratching that itch Dave. Thanks for taking the time to tap that out. I was wondering about the rain coverage. I like that about the RSV compared to my Roadstar. And I also find the Roadstar 1700 kind of laggy compared to my RSV the way your talking it's going to be the same jump then again.

I was thinking $600 a year through progressive for an 08 RSV and an 07 Roadstar was too much. Now I am thinking maybe not. I pay they whole bill the day it comes over the net. I know it adds more if you stretch it out. I save maybe 50 bucks each bike pay by the year. NOW what I get for that is dismal, I bet I did not ride the RS 500 miles all last year. So they won on that one.